Jalebi Recipe

Jalebi is a popular Indian dessert in the shape of a spiral that is produced from flour primarily combined with some chickpea flour and yogurt (even though adding yogurt is not absolutely essential). After being deep-fried and sugar syrup-dipped, the batter is fermented.

Jalebi is regarded as the pinnacle of the numerous delicious Indian sweets around the world. Everyone in your family will adore these delicious funnel cake-style fried spirals that are drenched in a sweet syrupy sauce.

This tried-and-true homemade jalebi recipe will produce an abundance of treats that any mithai shop would be pleased to offer!

In North India, jalebi is still a fairly common breakfast food. It’s ironic that although jalebi is sweet, it’s frequently consumed as a special morning dish on weekends or during festivals. It is eaten as a dessert, of course, because it is sweet, but many people also enjoy it for breakfast.

Ingredients For Jalebi

Jalebi Batter making

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 tablespoon gram flour also known as besan
1/4 cup Curd (yogurt)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
orange food color (optional)
water as needed – around 1/2 cup
oil or ghee to fry jalebi

sugar syrup making

1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
few saffron strands
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
water as needed – around 1/2 cup

Instructions for jalebi

Batter:

Mix maida (flour), besan (gram flour), baking soda, and baking powder in a sizable bowl.
Mix in the yogurt and cardamom powder.
To create a batter with a flowing consistency, add water and food coloring (if used).
And make a thick batter having a consistency similar to vada batter (or a little thicker than idli batter). Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter.
It shouldn’t matter how thick or thin the batter is. Depending on the maida and besan quality, you may require up to 3/4 water.
The batter should be covered and allowed to ferment for 10 to 12 hours. Due to the frigid climate where I reside, mine took 24 hours. Once the batter has fermented, you can see tiny bubbles on top of it.
Whisk the batter a little in the morning. If the batter appears to be too thick at this point, you might need to add a little water [around 1 tablespoon].\
It should have a sticky and dropping consistency. If the batter is too thin, jalebi will turn crispy but flat and if the batter is too thick, jalebi will turn soft and thick.

Sugar Syrup:

In the interim, put sugar in a pan. Stir in the sugar and water, then bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the cardamom powder, saffron thread, and lemon juice once it starts to boil.
Allow the syrup to simmer until it thickens to the consistency of one string. Put a drop of syrup between your thumb and index finger; as you separate your fingers, the syrup should create a single thread.
Make it sticky if you can’t attain consistency. While you prepare the jalebis, keep the syrup warm.

How to make Jalebis:

Fill a squeeze bottle with the jalebi batter. The thin jalebis were caused by the very little tip of the one I chose.
In the interim, warm a pan or Kadai with oil or ghee. I blended the two together. Maintain medium-low heat.
In hot oil, squeeze batter while spiraling from the inside out. Keep in mind that if the heat is too high, the shape won’t be able to be formed. If the batter is separating in the oil, it may be too thin and needs more flour. Increase the heat to medium-high once you’ve formed the batter into a spiral.
Fry until both sides are crisp. Remove from oil and dip into warm sugar syrup right away; a few seconds on each side is sufficient.
Jalebis should be taken out of the sugar syrup and placed on a serving plate.
Have homemade jalebi with rabri or milk. You may top off your garnish with some nuts!

Tips and Variations:

Make sure that the batter is thick but flows easily. The thickness might also be medium.
Jalebi will become soft if the batter is too thick, and they will become flat and crispy if the batter is too thin.
Make sure the flame is kept low while frying the jalebis. It won’t be fully cooked inside due to the high heat. Additionally, this will give you plenty of time to form your jalebis to perfection.
In the event that the batter becomes watery after fermentation, add a few tablespoons of maida and thoroughly mix the batter.
Combine all-purpose flour, corn flour, and a little turmeric to make Instant Jalebis. Then, combine water and curd with it, whisking vigorously in one direction to create a smooth batter.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy jalebi on its own or with namkeens/snacks like chivda, crispy methi puri, namak pare, chakli, gathiya, etc. It can also be served with rabdi as a dessert after dinner.

In Gujarat, Fafda is a popular combination with jalebi, whereas, in Indore city, it is served with Indori poha. Jalebi can also be served for breakfast with a glass of warm milk.

Jalebi can be served alone or in combination with other food items. For example, some people like to have jalebi with milk or with Rabri, the sweetened thickened milk dish.